Tag Archives: interpersonal skills

In life we are put in many situations where we are under leadership. Be it at school, university or in our jobs, at some stage we have to listen to others and follow orders.

As soon as people are put in positions of leadership over us their values, motives and character become very apparent. That however raises a question: what would people see if we were the ones in leadership positions? How would we treat those under our leadership? Can we look inside ourselves and reflect upon our own motives? I believe our motives point towards our values and character.

Inside each of us is a desire to succeed, to lead, and to influence change.This is an extremely good thing, but what is our motive?

Is it purely self elevation or is it to bring out the best in others and to positively make an impact in society?

George Washington Carver observed, “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.”

This statement really highlights the power of perspective. Success brings many things; influence, wealth and privilege. What we do with these things is a strong indication of our motive. The state of our true character becomes so obvious.

We can use our position to either gratify ourselves, or to positively affect others.

In some cases even the quality of someone else’s future can be dependant on our treatment of them. In our relationships, both personal and professional, do we encourage and build up, or criticise and pull down?
It’s a good thing to stop and think about because the way we treat people is a direct reflection of the value we place on others.

In John Maxwell’s book Developing the Leaders Around You he talks about how true leaders raise leaders. True leaders help others reach their full potential. I would encourage you to look inside yourself and ask: “What is my perspective of others? What motivates me? What can I do to help someone else succeed?”